Celestial Resonance: A Symphony of Love and War

Chapter 6: Chaos And The Clumsy Adventurers

The next morning, Arya goes to the merchant guild to sell the rest of the magic stones he collected the previous night.

"Hello ma'am, I am looking to sell some of my collection of magic stones here. Can you help me with that?" inquire Arya to the beautiful receptionist.

"Of course, first I just need some basic information about you. Are you registered with the merchant guild or any other guild?" asks the receptionist.

"No," replies Arya.

"Would you like to register to get all the benefits, avoid the guild fees, and receive better service?" the receptionist questions.

"I am not sure about that since I am not looking to trade often. For now, I just want to sell the magic stones in my possession," Arya says.

"In that case, the tax plus guild fees will be 20% of the price, and we can give you 80% for the product. If you agree with the terms, I will call the guild master for appraisal," says the receptionist.

Arya had originally collected 10 magic stones—Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, Red, Golden, White, and Dark Blue—from the skeleton of a dead monster. He gave the red one for the hotel fare last night. He places the remaining six rainbow-colored stones on the desk.

"I would appreciate the help," says Arya with a smile.

"Kindly wait for a few moments," says the receptionist. She calls the guild master from the next room for the appraisal, and he examines the magic stones for a few moments.

"Indeed, interesting. What a collection! There are six out of seven magical stones here. The red one is missing, which is the most costly. Are you an adventurer?" asks the guild master.

"No, I just came to this city yesterday. These magic stones were in my possession, and I needed some money; that's why I'm here to sell them," Arya replies.

"I see, these are naturally seasoned magic stones. It seems they have absorbed a huge amount of mana over the years, making them quite rare. I've never seen such naturally seasoned magic stones before. I think 15 gold coins and 45 silver coins are a fair price," says the guild master.

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate your fair offer. I accept it," Arya says with a smile.

Arya leaves the guild office and reunites with Satoshi to continue their journey. They decide to find a cart service from the port city of Verdant to the capital. These carts travel together through the forest, accompanied by adventurers for security. Among the passengers, Arya spots Sukurika and approaches her.

"Hey again, you guys didn't leave for the capital last night on the alternative ship?" Arya asks. Satoshi follows and stands behind him.

"No, Grandpa wasn't feeling well, so we had to stay here for the night. What about you guys?" Sukurika replies.

"We didn't want to leave Yogita alone, so we spent the night here too," Arya explains, noticing that Sukurika and Satoshi keep glancing at each other.

"Um, I'll just help Grandpa onto the cart. See you guys later. I hope you still don't think we're robbers," Arya says, moving to help Sukurika's grandfather. As he walks away, he can still hear their conversation.

"Thanks for yesterday," Satoshi says.

"I'm also sorry for judging you," Sukurika responds.

The four of them hire a cart, and Arya sits with the grandpa in the front seat, giving Satoshi and Sukurika the opportunity to sit together in the back.

A convoy of twelve carts sets off, moving in a line from the city toward the forest. They pass grand houses before crossing the main gate. The outskirts of the city reveal smaller, more modest homes. Finally, they leave the city behind as the forest begins to grow deeper and darker around them.